Thelma van Rensburg was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1969. Van Rensburg always had an interest in art, but did not pursue it as a career until 2004. She has a B.A Honours degree in Physical education and Psychology. In 2004 she decided to study art full time and received her B.Tech degree in Fine Arts at Tshwane University of Technology which she completed in 2007. In 2013 she re-enrolled at the University of Pretoria for the final year of the Ba degree in Fine Arts and completed the year Cum Laude. In 2016 she completed a Masters of Arts degree in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria titled, Uneasy bodies, femininity and death: Representing the female corpse in fashion photography and selected contemporary artworks.
Since graduating, she has participated in eight solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions throughout South Africa and in Berlin and Italy. Her work has featured in prestigious competitions such as Sasol New Signatures, Thami Mnyele Fine Arts awards and the Sanlam Vuleka Arts competition. She also attended three artist residencies in Berlin and Mexico from 2015 to 2018.
She is constantly evolving in her art practice with expertise in painting, drawing, mixed media and print making.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Thelma van Rensburg (Marais)
Born 15 April 1969 in Pretoria, South Africa. Website: www.art.co.za/thelmavanrensburg https://up-za.academia.edu/Thelmavanrensburg
Qualifications:
1990
Baccalaureus Artuim degree in Human Movement studies at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
1992
Baccalaureus Artuim Honores degree in Human Movement studies (Recreation) at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
2000
Honneurs-Baccalaureus Artuim in Psychology at the University of South Africa. UNISA 2007
Baccalaureus Technologiae in Fine Art at Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.
Course work and thesis completed cum laude
2013
Baccalaureus Artuim degree in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria Course work and thesis Completed cum laude
2016
Master of Arts at the University of Pretoria Course work and thesis
Title: Uneasy bodies, Femininity and death: Representing the female corpse in fashion photography and art.
Title: Uneasy bodies, Femininity and death: Representing the female corpse in fashion photography and art.
2017:
Enrollment at Transart Institute for creative practice.
Enrollment at Plymouth University in the United Kingdom for a Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Practice.
Artistic Practice: Solo Exhibitions, Group Exhibitions, Publications, Competitions, Residencies and Projects:
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2020: March
The haunting of the never recovered pieces, Longstreet Art Lovers, Pretoria 2018:
The allure of the unruly. Black Box exhibition, Pretoria Arts Association.
2017: November
• Surface Allure/ Concealed decay, Art Lovers, Pretoria
2016: September:
• Uneasy Bodies: Femininity and death. St Lorient fashion and Art gallery, Pretoria. August:
Shut up and be still: MFA final exhibition, Van Wouw House, University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
April:
“Poetic Death”, Exhibition of paintings: Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria.
2014: August:
• “Fragments of unbecoming”, Exhibition of paintings, Art Lovers, Pretoria.
2009: September:
• “Seductress in distress”, Kunsthouse, Cape Town, March:
• “Masquerade”, Exhibition of digital works: Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Cape Town December 2008-March 2009:
• Layers of Illusion. Exhibition of digital works and paintings: MAP (Modern Art Projects) Gallery in Graskop, Mpumalanga, South-Africa.
Group Exhibitions:
2020:
September:
Vulnerables, Johann van Heerden Gallery, Pretoria.
2019:
May:
• Remembrances, Art Lovers, Pretoria August:
• Awesome Women’s Exhibition, Pretoria Arts Association 2017:
March:
Artist book exhibition, Trent Gallery, Pretoria. July:
1969 group exhibition, Trent gallery, Pretoria, Curated by Thelma van Rensburg. August:
The female nude by female artists, Trent gallery, Pretoria. 2016:
May:
The Art of Humanity at The Pratt Institute-Pratt Institute The Rubelle and Norman Schfler Gallery May 23 - May 28 2016
August:
SOIL(ED), Masters exchange exhibition between students of the University of Pretoria and Michaelis school of Fine Art in Cape Town, Van Wouw House, Pretoria.
Shut up and be still, Masters of Arts Exhibition, Van Wouw House, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
2015:
January:
• The ABC of life, Art Lovers, Pretoria. Curator: Idiko Pohl. March:
• Blind collaboration. Art Lovers, Pretoria.
April:
Art Lovers Competition Finalist Exhibition, Art Lovers, Pretoria. July:
Loose Affairs-Opening exhibition of Transart’s 2015 Summer Residency SOMOS PROJECT SPACE, Berlin.
August:
Transart Summer residency at Uferstudios, Group exhibition, Berlin, Germany, 24 July to 15 August, 2015.
Map of the new art, Imago Mundi- Luciano Benetton collection, Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venezia.
September:
Thami Mnjele Fine Art Awards exhibition, Kempton Park. South Africa.
MAP OF THE NEW ART, Imago Mundi. Fondazione Giorgio Cini Sep 1 - Nov 1 2015.
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice
2014 February:
• Jan Cilliers group exhibition in collaboration with Art Space Gallery, Johannesburg. Curator: Teresa Lizamore.
March:
Exhibition of finalist in the For the love of arts competition, Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria June:
Transforming the negative into positive through art, Trent gallery, Pretoria. Curator: Anna Liebenberg.
Art Alive annual exhibition, Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Pretoria. Curator: Karen Marais.
July: Erotica Exhibition, Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria.
Salon 1, Melville, Johannesburg. Curated by Andrea Rolfes and Ann-Marie Tully.
Imago Mundi: The Art of Humanity – Treviso, Casa Dei Carraresi Jul 9 - Aug 3 2014
August:
• ” Fragments of unbecoming”, Solo exhibition, Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria. Curator: Thelma van Rensburg.
• ” Fragments of unbecoming”, Solo exhibition, Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria. Curator: Thelma van Rensburg.
September:
“Grotesque Femininities continued”, Out of the Cube online selfie, Available: http://www.outofthecube.co.za/selfies.aspx?artistid=88&selfies=true&ArtistSearch=All
Thami Mnjele Fine Art Awards exhibition, Kempton Park, Finalist
Roald Dahl exhibition, Art Lovers, Pretoria.
November:
Imago Mundi: The Art of Humanity – Rome Museo Carlo Bilotti - Aranciera di Villa Borghese Nov 20 2014 - Jan 11 2015.
2013:
February:
Jan Cilliers group exhibition in collaboration with Art Space Gallery, Johannesburg. Curator: Teresa Lizamore.
March:
Exhibition of finalist in the For the love of arts competition, Art Lovers gallery, Pretoria
Fried Contemporary Gallery, Affordable Art fair, Pretoria. Curator: Elfrieda Dreyer.
Invited to participate in the Benetton Art project, Small Canvas Project to be accessioned into the Luciano Benetton Collection, which will be shown nationally, and internationally at three venues, including the Venice Biennale of 2015.
June:
Modern Miniatures exhibition through Art Events, at Art Gallery, Nelson Mandela bay,
Modern Miniatures exhibition through Art Events, at Art Gallery, Nelson Mandela bay,
There after to the National Arts Festival in Trinity Hall 2013.
Transforming the negative into positive through art, Trent gallery, Pretoria. Curator: Anna Liebenberg.
Art Alive annual exhibition, Waterkloof House Preparatory School, Pretoria. Curator: Karen Marais.
July:
Turbine Hall Art Fair, at Turbine Hall, Johannesburg in collaboration with Art Space, now Lizamore and Associates. Curator: Teresa Lizamore.
Fashion and Surrealism, St Lorient Fashion and Art gallery, Pretoria. 2011:
MAP (Modern Art Projects), Retrospective, U.J gallery, Johannesburg University. Curated by Abrie Fourie.
2010:
Fried Contemporary Gallery, Pretoria: Bodies in Transition. Curated by Elfriede Dreyer.
“Skin” Art Space Warehouse, Johannesburg. Danelle Janse Van Rensburg, Adelle Oldfield, Thelma Van Rensburg. Curated by Teresa Lizamore.
2009:
Art Space Warehouse, Johannesburg Oppitafel Group Exhibition, Curated by Teresa Lizamore
St Lorient Fashion and Art Gallery, Pretoria – Perfume bottle exhibition.
Aardklop Arts Festival, Group Exhibition, Potchsefstroom, South Africa. 2008:
Us + I at the Fried Contemporary Gallery in Pretoria. Curated by Elfriede Dreyer.
2007:
3rd and 4th Year Tshwane University of Technology Students exhibition at the University of South-Africa, Pretoria
Competitions:
2015: Finalist in the For the love of art competition, Art Lovers Gallery, Pretoria.
2014: Finalist in the For the love of art competition, Art Lovers Gallery, Pretoria.
2011: 2nd COLLAGE Annual Competition-Online Exhibition –Awarded Diploma of
Excellence http://www.artaddiction.net/Collage/collage.htm
2011: Finalist in Thami Mnjele Fine Art Awards- Kempton Park, Gauteng.
2010: Finalist in Thami Mnjele Fine Art Awards- Kempton Park, Gauteng.
2009: Finalist in Ekhurhuleni competition, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South-Africa.
2009: Finalist in Sanlam Vuleka Fine Art competition, Cape Town.
2007: Finalist in Sasol New Signatures Art competition, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
Residencies:
August 2015: Transart Institute, Summer Intensive: Ufer Studios, Berlin
August 2017: Transart Institute, Summer Intensive: Ufer Studios, Berlin.
http://www.transartadmissions.org/summer-2017
January 2018: Transart Institute, Winter Residency: Soma, Mexico City.
Publication in Art Volumes and Magazines:
Publication in A Look away Magazine May 2010.
“International Contemporary Artists Volume 1”, by I.C.A Publishing 2011.
http://www.incoartists.com/
“International Contemporary Masters Volume 5”, 2011 by World Wide Art Books.
http://www.internationalcontemporarymasters.com/artists.html
Publication in “International Dictionary of Artist 2011” by World Wide Art books.
Selected for “Selected Creative’s “for One Small Seed magazine issue 22, 2011.
Publication in Art Now Books- “RE-IMAGINE, new contemporary art” 2011.
http://www.artnowonline.com
Publication in “The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secret and passions of a 100 Artists revealed,
2012. Artwork featured by Thelma van Rensburg “Starry Eyes”, by North Light books.
Publication in Important World Artists Volume 1. World Wide Art Books.
Publication in South Africa: 10 x 12 @ SA - Imago Mundi, Contemporary Artists from South Africa, Luciano Benetton Collection, 2013. https://store.fabrica.it/products/south-africa-10-x-12-sa
Publication in Remugle n°1 - LA PEAU, 2017. http://fanzineremugle.bigcartel.com/product/remugle-n-1-la-peau
Projects:
Art House co-op Limited Edition Sketchbook Project, 2012. Digitized: http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/10882
Art House co-op Limited edition sketchbook Project, 2013. Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, 2013.
Art House co-op Limited edition sketchbook Project, 2013. Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, 2013.
Saadjies small sculpture initiative, Pretoria, 2016.